15 Games Perfect For a Rainy & Stormy Day

Being brought up in the Midwest has made me grow accustomed to inclement weather and storms. Luckily, gaming is mostly an indoor hobby. Our shelter protects us from the scary, stormy outside world and games take us to places where we can safely feel unsafe.

As mother nature aims another well-placed storm at the good old USA it just feels right to run down a list of weather-appropriate games. So, let’s batten down the hatches and surround ourselves in the warm glow of these perfect rainy (and snowy) day games.

Whether you’re getting a blizzard, thunderstorm, or just a little rain this week you should be all set. Better yet, the next time you need some inspiration for what to play on a stormy day come check out this list again for a little refresher to see what fits your mood.

Until Dawn

This is arguably the most obvious choice of game for a snowstorm. The extra immersion of slowly getting snowed in is sure to add to the terror. Combine this with a group of friends and you have the ultimate winter party game.

Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds

This DLC for one of the best games on the PS4 is great to play any time, but especially during a winter storm. If you’re going to be stuck indoors for a multi-day blizzard then this is the perfect option.

It’ll give you all the sensations of wandering the frigid wastes that surround you minus the cold. The best part is that it can be easily finished in a day or two to make for an unforgettable winter experience.

Persona 5

Before you get all flustered about this choice, you absolutely do not need to be able to finish this game before the rainstorm ends. While Persona 5 deals with intensely serious subjects, it’s all framed with a super chill acid jazz soundtrack and a constant reminder to take your time.

The rainy days in Persona 5 are some of the most relaxing and contemplative moments in gaming. So, take a trip to Tokyo and enjoy some hot pot with your closest friends, but most importantly remember to always take your time.

Fe

Fe is a story about a little fox-like animal befriending and saving their fellow forest dwellers. The coniferous forests of Fe evoke thoughts of gently drifting snowflakes and helps to distract from the mounds of powder right outside your door.

The striking pops of color in this world stand as a stark contrast to the dullness beyond your bedroom window.

Tetris Effect

Take one of the best puzzle games in the world and combine it with the most engrossing visuals ever seen in a puzzle game, the result is Tetris Effect.

While the rain obscures the beauty of the outside world you can get lost in the bright lights and enveloping sound of Tetris Effect. There’s even a chill mode perfect for a rainy day which allows you to play endlessly without having to worry about topping out.

Tabletop Simulator

This is a more traditional option when it comes to rainy day activities. The base game comes with a handful of classics like chess, checkers, and jigsaw puzzles.

You can even create your own new tabletop rainstorm pastimes and check out what other people have made. You’ll still have all the fun of flipping the table when you’re about to lose without the risk of losing critical pieces.

Resident Evil 2 Remake

You can’t have this list without the recent remake of the classic zombie game. Imagine Mr. X bursting through a door and taking you down as flashes of lighting wildly shoot across the dreary sky. Well, we might not all be that lucky to have such impeccable timing, but there’s nothing more cliché than a thunderstorm to set a spooky mood.

However, it’s a cliché for a reason: it works. Our puny human brains rightfully cower in fear before a storm. Resident Evil 2 is already a great horror game and some ominous weather just makes it even better.

Detention

Detention is one of the most unsettling horror games. This horrifying title is best played in the dark with good headphones during a raucous thunderstorm. While starting the game with a typhoon warning initiates a feeling of impending doom, the thunderstorm makes it that much more terrifying.

Since Detention relies more on a foreboding atmosphere than jump scares the flashes of lightning and claps of thunder will only add to the feeling of unease.

Animal Crossing: New Leaf

Just get out of the house and chill with your neighbors. If you’re lucky you might even get to prance around the rain in your town. Fish all day and forget about the outside world.

Don’t let the dullness of the storm outside bring you down. Most of all, make sure to take in the relaxing music that changes with every hour. Think of what makes you the most relaxed and do that. Chances are you can do it in Animal Crossing New Leaf.

Beat Saber

Add a little bit of thunder to some coincidentally well-timed music and you might just feel like Thor himself. Or maybe Palpatine would be a more appropriate comparison here. Either way, Beat Saber is a heck of a trip. While the deafening booms of thunder may be drowned out by the stunning electronic soundtrack, the reverberations will shake your core.

This intense sensation brought on by the storm is sure to immerse you even deeper into your futuristic surroundings.

Furi

Furi is an action game that would make Sekiro blush. The frantic nature of the multi-stage bosses in this game is made tenser by the presence of a thunderstorm. The first boss battle of the game even takes place during a thunderstorm, which is perfect because many people probably won’t make it past the first boss.

This game will beat you down, but the surrounding lightning may just give you the extra adrenaline you need to pull victory from the plasma bolts of defeat.

Art of Balance

There is beauty in balance. Each level of the Art of Balance is a fantastically crafted puzzle of stacking differently shaped blocks without tipping them over. Any weather other than a rainstorm might be too tension-inducing to truly enjoy Art of Balance.

The drops of water gently beating your drum-like roof puts your mind at ease. Even if the tower of blocks tumbles into the water below, you are already too chill to care.

Desert Golfing

Now, this may be a bit too far when it comes to escapism. The pendulum has swung to one extreme and now it’s time for the dry, unforgiving wastelands of Desert Golfing.

If you think your neighborhood looks barren after a blizzard, then you should see this classic mobile game. You’ll be lucky to see a cactus 1000 levels in. Even if you find yourself in another ice age you likely won’t have enough time to see every level before the glaciers thaw again.

Super Mario Sunshine

This one is a bit more of a throwback. But if you still have your GameCube and Super Mario Sunshine then it’s time to take a trip to Isle Delfino. Jump, jet, and slide on your belly to collect all 120 Shine Sprites.

Or you could always just take in the sites and swim around the many bodies of water. Treat this island like your own personal getaway. It sure beats paying for a trip to Hawaii.

Bayonetta 1 or 2

You can’t go wrong with either of these PlatinumGames hits. Summoning demons has never been so stylish. Throwing in handfuls of gusting wind, torrential rains, and bolts of plasma makes the experience much more intense.

If you can master the combos, Bayonetta’s wicked weaves flow elegantly through the hordes of angels like strings of cloud-to-cloud lightning. You may even mistake blasts of thunder for Madama Butterfly’s deadly stomps.